By Muhammad Mujahid Syed

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – “To some extent, the popularity of English medium schools has endangered the future of our national language, but we can pin our hopes on the new generation for the promotion of Urdu. They are the standard-bearer of our national language in Pakistan,” said Dr. Khurshid Rizvi in an interview to Saudi Gazette.”

Till yet there is no replacement for seniors or stalwarts like Intizar Hussain, Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi, Munir Niyazi, Zaheer Kashmiri, Hafeez Taib, Khalid Ahmad and Shahzad Ahmad. Among the seniors, only famous poet and columnist Zafar Iqbal who is in in his mid-80s, has kept this candle burning. After the retirement of the most of the famous senior poets and literary figures from the scene, Lahore is still awaiting to regain its old identity as the cradle of Urdu literature and poetry,” he added.

Professor Dr. Khurshid is a multifaceted scholar of oriental languages who possesses equal dexterity in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and English and is well-versed in Punjabi. In recognition of his literary services, Dr. Khurshid was decorated with one of the highest civilian awards; Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the government of Pakistan in 2008.

Dr. Khurshid shed light on the role of Pak Tea House, Lahore, stating thar it is a famous literary center and Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zauq as a fountainhead for Lahore’s literary activities.

“Since 1930s Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zauq has organized its weekly literary programs without fail in Pak Tea House. In these literary sessions, literary articles and short stories are read. Ghazals and other genres of Urdu poetry are rendered. The participants take part in open discussions. Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zauq has never accepted government’s help in this regard. This forum is famous for its independence of thought and opinion. Sometimes it has led to serious differences among the members and the forum split into two, but not for long.

“At last, the factions preferred unity. Presently Ghulam Hussain Sajid is its secretary general. He is very worthy and pro-active. Intizar Hussain, one of the most genuine fiction writer and columnist of his times, had never been a formal member of this forum but he attended it for more than five decades. Due to old age and the distance of his residence from Pak Tea House, in the last days of his life, almost for ten years, he used to sit in Narang Gallery,” he added.

“Alhamra Arts Council is another center of attraction for the writers and poets. It has allocated a hall for literary programs. It has become a replica of Pak Tea House for the literary events. It offers its support to the poets and writers in organizing Mushairas and other literary programs. Under the aegis of Iqbal Academy Pakistan, many literary programs are held in the memory of Allama Iqbal in Aiwan-e-Iqbal,” Dr. Khurshid said.

“Among the personalities that have appealed me is famous economist, and former founder vice chancellor of GC University, Dr. Khalid Aftab (a nephew of famous literary figure Ashfaq Hussain) who has offered glimpses of the challenges and obstacles, in the way of establishing and running a university in his recent book,” he said.

“Ghazal and nazm both are composed in Pakistan. There is no special trend in this regard. The modern poetry is inclined to the individual and his conscience. The collectivism has faded away. The latest global phenomenon is individualism. Pakistani poets too, have become highly individualistic,” answering to a question about the latest trends of Urdu poetry in Pakistan, Dr. Khurshid explained.

“In English poetry, Keats is my favorite. In Arabic classical poetry, I like Tarafa ibn Al-Abd. Tarafa’s is the second Qasidah in the Muallaqas. I find a similarity too between the personalities of Tarafa ibn Al-Abd and Keats. Both died young. Although they had left a little amount of poetry behind them in comparison with other poets yet they are marvelous,” Dr. Khurshid said, when asked about a comparison between English and Arabic poetry.

“Arabi Adab Qabl Az Islam (Arabic Literature Before Islam)”, Dr. Khurshid’s famous book regarding the pre-Islamic literature, is well received in the literary circles of the Indian Subcontinent. Its second volume’s different portions are being published by famous literary journal Sawera regularly. His latest book “Bazdeed”, the collection of sketches or pen portraits of different literary figures, was recently published by Ilqa Publications, Lahore. “Many good poets and writers are embellishing the literary scene of Pakistan in our new generation,” Dr. Khurshid concluded.